Issues and SWOT: Uttlesford

strength

Build on the operating electrical-recycling service

Small electrical-item collections have launched.

An existing collection route gives residents a practical disposal option.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,289 a month (August 2026) in Uttlesford council area. This is £170 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.8% in Elsenham & Henham to 27.9% in Debden & Wimbish — a gap of 19.1 percentage points.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in Uttlesford council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.6% in Flitch Green & Little Dunmow to 4.2% in Thaxted & the Eastons — a gap of 2.6 percentage points.

This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

36.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Uttlesford council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8.1% in Flitch Green & Little Dunmow to 18.3% in Great Dunmow South & Barnston — a gap of 10.2 percentage points.

Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.

weakness

Show which home upgrades are actually finished

The progress report names a contractor and forecast retrofit dates.

Tenants need clarity about installation, disruption and aftercare.

Evidence

opportunity

Use the bike-hire extension to test everyday travel

Saffron Walden’s schemes have been extended to March 2027.

The extra time can show who uses them and what trips they replace.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.2% of people in Uttlesford council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 7% in Flitch Green & Little Dunmow to 25.9% in Clavering — a gap of 18.9 percentage points.

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Uttlesford council area.

Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.

opportunity

Turn published plans into visible progress

4 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.

A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.

opportunity

Target support where disadvantages overlap

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 6.1% in Flitch Green & Little Dunmow to 13.9% in Stansted South & Birchanger — a gap of 7.8 percentage points.

These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.

threat

Verify savings before counting an energy project successful

London Road work has consent and a contract but no confirmed completion in the report.

Costs and benefits depend on a working installation and ongoing maintenance.

Evidence